Visit to Eerie Chapel of Bones Evora Portugal
In today’s post I am taking you on a virtual eerie tour! This is Chapel of bones in Evora! This is definitely a must visit spot for all of you who are brave during your visit to Evora, Portugal. We visited this after our tour of Cathedral of Evora.
History of Chapel of bones in Evora
The chapel of bones was built between the years 1460 to 1510 in Gothic style. The idea of such an eerie construction was conceived by few Franciscan monks. In the 16th century Evora was expanding, but there were around 43 cemeteries which were taking up valuable land. To allow expansion and at the same time not intending to condemn the souls buried in these cemeteries they moved all the bones into a single chapel. In the process they tried to convey the inevitability of death!
Interiors of Chapel of Bones
As you walk in to the Chapel of Bonesin Evora, the grandeur and opulence stuns you! The rows of skeletons or skull aren’t very prominent, yet they seem to stare back at you. As my eyes scanned through details, I found whole walls stuffed with bones and skulls, from roof to bottom. There are decorations too, in the form of arches, all made with human bones! The number of skeletons is estimated to be 5000!
These are bones of humans, of people from all walks of life who lived in Evora then! The feeling was slightly disturbing! After all the rhyme on the arch to the entrance read “Our bones that are here wait for yours!”
Another strange story associated with this chapel of bones is that:
When this cathedral was nearing completion, people of Evora were dying to get into the Chapel, otherwise their bones may end up in a cemetery instead of being on display.
The white box has bones of the monks who made this chapel.
The bones of the monks who made this chapel are not on display. They are kept in a small white coffin. Notice the box in middle left of the picture above.
Timings of Chapel of Bones in Evora:
June to August – Monday to Saturday – 9.00 to 12.50 and 14.30 to 17.45
September to May – until 17.15
Sundays – opens at 10.
Tickets to Chapel of Bones
2euros, additional 1euro for camera.
You are brave if you have scrolled down so far to see the open timings and tickets. So here is an well treated image for you!
Have been here Indrani. Was amazing. Great narration and pictures.
Indrani, I have always been intrigued about this chapel of bones ever since I read about it a few years back. I gives me goosebumps and here I see it here in your post.
This is the most impressive and interesting post of the day! On the otherhand it’s also very eerie and spooky.
Thank you for showing all those great photos.
Have a wonderful week, Indrani!
Wil, ABCW Team
Creepy beauty!!!!!!!!!!!Thanks for the lovely pics of this place.
Hmmm. It kind of gives me the creeps! 😉
This place has a character of its own. Unique!
Grand even. Thank you for the sights in here. I’m glad I didn’t miss this post.
I’m curious — do they still have services in there?
Never heard of something like this. Fascinating! Gosh can’t imagine walking into a place with so many skeletons…
What an amazing place – it must be very eerie.
Yikes! I do not want to be stranded there alone at night 🙂
Quite unsettling. I bet it needs the nerve to spend a night inside the chapel…ALONE…
Great pictures, Indrani…
Did you sleep well that night? What is that scaffold doing in there? Are they adding a few more bones or carrying out regular maintenance work … replacing a few broken bones maybe!
This was truly eerie, but so interesting. Thanks for sharing dear 🙂
Oh my……….! Interesting!
Absolutely terrific! Incredible idea to preserve all their bones and what really wonder was people dying to get into the Chapel.
Glad u able to venture this skeletal palace 🙂
Beautiful photos of this interesting chapel!
Ohh…my God, looks eerie.
It gives an eerie feeling…
I have heard about this Chapel earlier.
Amazing photos.
Thanks.
Now this is what we call beauty with horror 😉
Ha ha so right you are!
Interesting Tale! You said braves are them who have scrolled down to the last picture. But I wonder how brave you were amidst those bones capturing each of them.
I am very brave Anupam, not scared of such dead stuffs. Invisible things and sources of sounds scare me though. 😛 🙂
Spooky Indrani, I am not sure I will like to visit!
Given a chance I would love to visit again Mridula. 😀
Great virtual tour Indrani Ji with Beautiful shots of the chapel. Interesting sculptural work.
These are real skulls Yogi ji!
Ahhhhhh this one scared me in pictures, I wonder what have an actual done to me!! But sooo interesting Indrani!
Eerie indeed!
Yes!
Oh My God! This place gives me the creeps. Your pictures are fantastic.
Nothing to be scared Rachna. 🙂
Breathtakingly beautiful place… I would love to visit the it some times!
You are brave to find this place beautiful! 🙂
whoa… How do they preserve these? How long you managed to stay inside ;)? Yes these places remind us in the end nothing matters.
They seemed to be well preserved. No clue how though.
We hung around the place for around 15mins.
Thanks Arun for the comment.
Interesting history.Nice captures.How do you manage to go there?
Very Disturbing scene.
Amazing!! Your captures are also amazing!!!!
Thank you Sylvia!
my god… this was eerie… I wouldn’t have visited this one for sure In :-p
That is why I got the pics for you Archana. 🙂
Amazing place
Yes! 🙂
Oh my lord. This is quite disturbing scene for me.
Oh! So sorry for that.
Beautiful shots of the chapel. Interesting sculptural work.
Those are real skulls Rajesh!
One helluva deep bones, excellent photos.
Thanks Bob!